As August closes, we celebrate a beautiful summer which has drawn plenty of visitors to our lovely Powys gardens. We have welcomed over 6,000 garden-lovers and raised almost £50,000 for the National Garden Scheme charities. With over 70 gardens (including five village-openings) generously opening for us this year, we thank all the garden owners and volunteers who have worked so hard to raise these amounts for the UK’s best-beloved health and well-being charities.
Now it’s time to look for new gardens to swell the ranks in 2026. Do you own or know of a garden which might fit the bill? It doesn’t have to be Chelsea-standard with sweeping lawns and hundreds of specimen plants: visitors can often identify more with small village-gardens with wildlife-areas and tidy vegetable plots. Our village-openings are increasingly popular: strolling around 5/6 gardens followed by home-made tea in the village hall is a great way to spend a lazy sunny afternoon.
If you are interested, please contact Powys Area Organiser, Susan Paynton on 01686 650531 susan.paynton@ngs.org.uk who will be happy to advise you.
We still have a few garden openings to finish the season. On Sunday 7 September, take a trip to the beautiful gardens of Cwm-Weeg near Newtown (SY16 4AT). Set in 24-acres of wildflower-meadows and woodland, this 2.5-acre garden has extensive herbaceous plantings, grottos, sculptures, stumpery and vistas. Home-made teas. Admission £6, children free.
In October, The Dingle Nurseries near Welshpool (SY21 9JD) are opening 11th/12th for the NGS to showcase the glorious autumn colours in this special 4.5-acre garden. Further afield, Gregynog Hall near Newtown (SY16 3PL) will also be opening by donation on the 18th/19th.
Time to sign off for the season and thank all our visitors for their support in 2025. Time for gardeners to think about cutting back, autumn bonfires, composting and protecting plants for the winter ready for them to bounce back in the spring. We have exciting plans for 2026 with possible snowdrop and daffodil openings to start the season. Watch this space!
